Farmhouse Group buys Nika, plans Italian restaurant

Jan. 23, 2014

Written by

Free Press Staff Writer

In late spring the Farmhouse Group will open its fifth Burlington-area restaurant in four years, when the local restaurateurs complete the transformation of Nika back to from whence it came: casual Italian dining.

Nika is the former Three Tomatoes, which for 21 years and under two names served Italian meals and pizza on the Marketplace.

Farmhouse Group purchased Nika from Jim Reiman and Robert Meyers, owners of Three Tomatoes restaurants in Rutland, Williston, and Lebanon, N.H.

“We’re going to do our own thing,” Davis said. “The restaurants that inspired me a lot in New York were Mario Batali’s. I frequented them a lot as a guest. There’s a lot of good that he does with his restaurants that can translate to this market.”

Davis, 38, grew up in Sudbury and attended Otter Valley Union High School and Cornell University, where he studied in the School of Hotel Administration. He worked in restaurants in New York City, including Daniel, before returning to Vermont 12 years ago.

After working at the New England Culinary Institute for two years Davis got a job at Three Tomatoes, where he was director of operations. One of the owners, Jim Reiman, is a lifelong friend of Davis’ father, he said.

“Jim Reiman is mentor of mine,” Davis said. “It’s kind of the sun setting of his career. We’ve had this dialogue going for years about eventually him wanting to step away and me being a younger version of him, turning it over. This predates the Farmhouse. I feel really good about it.”

The major renovation will be building a new bar, Davis said. “The wine program will lead the way,” he said of the beverage service.

The kitchen will remain open to the restaurant along one side. The wood-fired pizza oven will remain although pizzas will have a limited role in the restaurant, Davis said. Featured menu items will be pasta and antipastas.

The pasta will be made in-house. The restaurateurs, who built a meat processing plant in Winooski to facilitate the production and use of local meats, are researching the feasibility of using local grains for the pasta, Davis said.

“It has to be highly consistent,” Davis said. “You just cannot have variance with pasta.”

Last fall Davis and his wife traveled to Italy, where they visited Rome and Amalfi.

“You just learn again and again how simple and uncomplicated amazing food can be,” Davis said. “That’s how I cook at home. It’s what speaks to me.”

Davis’ partners in Farmhouse Group are business partners Paul Sayler and Rob Downey, and chef/partner Phillip Clayton. Sayler and Downey are co-owners of American Flatbread Burlington Hearth.

They are looking for suggestions for the name of their new restaurant.